The CRUX: True Survival Stories

In this riveting episode of the Crux True Survival Podcast, join us as we venture into the heart of Antarctica to uncover the astonishing story of explorer Douglas Mawson's harrowing journey of survival. Facing some of the most unforgiving conditions on Earth, Mawson's 1911 expedition took an unexpected turn as he found himself battling not only the elements but also the limits of human endurance....

Welcome to this week's episode of The Crux: True Survival Stories. In this gripping installment, we have the honor of sitting down with the remarkable Quinn Brett, a woman whose life took an unexpected turn on a fateful day in October 2017. Quinn's passion for speed climbing led her to the awe-inspiring El Capitan, a towering granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. Little did she know, that da...

On January, 2002, brother-in-laws Tommy Robbins and Larry Diamond set out on a plane ride over the Colorado Rockies and neither neither was expecting a sudden turn of events. They flew up over jagged cliffs, soaring high above the snow-capped peaks that seemed to stretch on forever. Suddenly they felt a sudden downward push as the cold air currents drove them lower and lower. Pilot Justin Kirkbrid...

Jim and Jennifer Stolpa, along with their infant son Clayton, were headed to a funeral in Pocatello, Idaho, from California when they suddenly found themselves lost in a vast wilderness of deep snow in northern Nevada. With no way out, the young family was forced to use their resourcefulness and meager supplies in order to survive the winter cold. The story of Jim and Jennifer's fight against the...

In May of 2006, New couple Gina Allen and Brandon Day were about to embark on what they thought would be a leisurely walk at the top of Mt San Jacinto, West of Palm Springs. They took the cable car to a Mountain station and set off on their walk. Little did they know that this hike would be more than just seeing nature's beauty. Being unfamiliar with the terrain and the trails, they soon became di...

The Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine Disaster of June 8, 1917 is one of the most momentous events in US mining history. In the depths of Butte, Montana's copper mine, tragedy unfolded that day as a fiery inferno engulfed the tunnels and filled them with searing smoke. The miners had been toiling away at full production to support America in World War I and were pushing for better working condition...

Wolf Wagner (25) and Johannes Hoentsch (26) had no idea what they were in for when they set out into the Canadian wilderness via canoe mid July 2017. Armed with a few maps, gps device, supplies, and their canoe, Wagner and Hoentsch navigated their way through the beautiful, but often treacherous northern Manitoba waters.   As they made their way downstream, the stunning Canadian landscape unfolded...

Steven Callahan's incredible story of survival against all odds is inspiring. In 1981, he was left adrift in the Atlantic Ocean for a harrowing 76 days after his sailing vessel sunk during a storm. With nothing but ingenuity and perseverance, he managed to survive on the open sea with minimal resources.   Despite facing incredible difficulties such as intense storms, lack of food, and dehydration,...

Pilots Syndie and David never expected their flight between Oahu and the Big Island to take a frightening turn. On July 15, 2016, both engines of their plane went out, leaving them with only minutes before impact into the ocean. Little did they know what would lie ahead: an epic 21-hour swim towards shore after a plane crash with temperatures below 70F.   The journey was filled with unexpected obs...

On Thursday, May 30th 2002, a tragedy unfolded atop the majestic Mount Hood in Oregon. Three climbers were killed and four injured when they fell into the Bergschrund crevasse in an 800-foot drop from the summit of Mount Hood. The climbing accident was made worse by a dramatic crash-and-roll of a USAF Pavehawk rescue helicopter from the 304th RQS, which had suddenly lost lift. The Mount Hood Trage...

Laurent Camprubi had been sailing for almost two decades, but nothing could have prepared him for the situation he found himself in. One minute he was attempting to qualify for the prestigious Route de Rhum race - a fiercely competitive 4,077 mile sailing competition - and the next his sailboat had capsized in rough waters.   He managed to stabilize his body within an air bubble at the bottom of h...

Adrian and Garrett set out to explore Misty Fjords National Park on September 14, 2013, full of hope and enthusiasm for the adventure that lay ahead. Little did Adrian know that the journey would prove to be the biggest test of his strength and courage. The two were not aware that it would be their last hunting trip together. After a tragic accident, Adrian found himself alone, stranded on a sand...

Working as a big game hunting guide in Alaska’s remote wilderness is an amazing but dangerous job. As Matt Henningsen, a former guide for Alaska Trophy Safaris, knows first-hand, it can come with some unforeseen risks. During his time as a guide, while leading a bear hunt, Matt experienced an unexpected medical emergency that threatened to take his arm or even his life. Listen in as Matt Henningse...

Imagine surviving not one, not two, but three shipwrecks. That's what Argentinian-Irish ocean liner stewardess and nurse, Violet Jessop, managed to do in the early 20th century. Jessop was one tough lady who had some serious luck on her side. She survived the sinking of the British warship HMS Hawke in 1911, the ill-fated RMS Titanic in 1912, and even the sister ship of the Titanic, HMHS Britannic...

On July 5th, 2014, Greg Hines set out to do a solitary climb up the remote Mt Goddard in Kings Canyon National Park. He'd planned on taking three to four days to complete the climb. He successfully made it up to the top, but during descent made a simple decision that would change the course of his trip and his life, leaving Greg with a serious injury on a rocky steep slope. Hosted by Simplecast, a...

Ken Killip was looking forward to an outing with friends to the Rocky Mountains in August of 1998. He was a firefighter and had some military training and was a generally fit individual. Prior to the trip, many of his friends decided not to go, and as he planned for his departure he had a bad feeling in his gut that he brushed off. He and his friend, John York set out for a hike up Mt. Ida, one th...

When Jamie Mosch became separated from his hunting buddies in 2009 he was left with no food or water and virtually no protection from the elements. Mosch relied on his knowledge of wilderness survival and sheer determination to survive four days alone in the Everglades of Florida. He was able to catch raw catfish and bull frogs as sustenance and found shelter beneath some mangrove trees at night....

The year was 1986, and Michelle Funk was only two-and-a-half years old when she drowned in an icy Utah stream. She was submerged for over and hour and was technically dead at the time of her rescue. The cold water had reduced her body temp to 66 degrees. Luckily, Michelle was able to make a nearly full recovery. Listen in to the harrowing story and lear a thing or two about cold water submersion a...

Hey guys! It's Kaycee, we are back making podcast episodes and are very excited! Today I am pleased to welcome my dear friend Julie to The Crux. She will be joining me most weeks in the recording of new episodes. In this episode we do a little intro into who Julie is, her interests, and how in the world she ended up on this podcast with me! Please be patient with our audio quality, we are remote r...

Today I will be telling you the story of John Colter’s run. We are stepping into the past for this one, into the 1800s. John Colter was one of the first “mountain man” as he spent months alone in the wilderness. John was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1804-1806. Although he was a part of this memorable expedition, he is also remembered as the first European man to set foot into Ye...

Michael was a 56 yo commercial lobster diver who was diving off the coast of Massachusetts when he was swept unexpectedly into the mouth of a whale. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrew was a 25 yo Australian from Tazmania who was out searching for himself while traveling in Malaysia. He purposefully avoided the tourist areas and went to remote villages and “out of the way areas”. He was traveling in October 2016 in Gunung Muling national park when he intentionally left the common trails for a more interesting experience, breaking all the rules along the way, and subsequen...

Autumn Veatch was 16 yo who was visiting her grandparents in Montana in the summer of 2015. Her grandparents had planned to fly her back home to W. Washington in their small aircraft. Later that day the plane would crash in the Northern Cascades, leaving her to fend for herself in the wilderness. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...

Today we will be covering the story that led to the book; Lost on a Mountain In Maine by survivor Donn Fendler with the help of an adult since he was 12 at the time. Donn got lost on Mt Katahdin in Maine when he headed down the trail by himself to find his father under poor weather conditions and walked off the path. He was underprepared and had to fight with everything he had to survive for nine...

On today's episode, Kaycee interviews Jeff Schock. Jeff is a fishmonger who spent all of his money and resources altering his new boat, St Joseph, to suit his needs for collecting and transporting fish in Alaska. On the trip to AK, Jeff and his crew ran into stormy weather and then realized that their power steering fluid had sprung a leak, leaving their steering wheel useless in 30 foot waves. Ho...